Thousands of football fans filled Eskan Street in the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil Sunday night, eyes glued to the TV screens to watch the world’s most popular match – Real Madrid vs Barcelona, the two leaders of the Spanish La Liga.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
The Catalan team, Barca, is nearing a record-breaking finish to the season without a single loss. Barca players have already won this year’s title of the league.
Sunday’s match marked the 176th game between the two teams. Real Madrid has won 72 and Barcelona 70. They also have 34 draws between the two teams, arguable the world’s strongest.
The people of the Kurdistan Region are keen fans of the two teams. Fights between supporters of the two sides have been known to break out in Eskan – brawls that police find hard to control.
Many shops and cafes in Kurdistan are named after Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The El Clasico match attracts hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, the majority of whom are in Asia and the Middle East.
Photos by Mohammed Shwani
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